2024-03-31 10:14:20
Licorice, with its slight anise taste, is not as harmless as it seems. On September 23, 2020, doctors discovered that black licorice was responsible for the death of a 54-year-old man in Massachusetts, USA. One case among others: several medical reports present cases of muscle breakdown, increased blood pressure and, sometimes, death following large consumption of licorice, unveils Discover media.
Let’s clarify right away: licorice is not dangerous when it is ingested in small quantities, in a reasonable manner, and by healthy individuals. Otherwise, caution is advised, especially among people over 40 who have the unfortunate habit of consuming it in very large quantities, for long periods. Just like the recent deceased from Massachusetts: the man ate a bag and a half of black licorice every day for three weeks. A fatal excess, caused, among other things, by the presence of a chemical element.
Glycyrrhizine
This chemical is the glycyrrhizine, also called glycyrrhizic acid, which is found in black licorice and which gives the candy its very particular flavor. A product fifty times sweeter than sugar, which can also be toxic.
Glycyrrhizin mimics aldosterone, a hormone produced by your adrenal glands when your body needs to retain sodium and release potassium – important minerals for the body, which contribute to the proper functioning of the nervous system, normal muscle function and maintenance of blood pressure. Too much glycyrrhizin upsets this balance, causing an increase in blood pressure and a disturbed heart rhythm. Exactly what the Massachusetts man experienced, whose potassium levels were dangerously low at the time of his death.
People suffering from certain illnesses are particularly more sensitive to overdoses of black licorice. Those who already have low potassium levels, high blood pressure or cardiac arrhythmia for example, but also people suffering from liver or kidney deficiencies. They will retain glycyrrhizin in their blood for longer periods, increasing the risk of experiencing side effects.
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